Podcast Summary: Stuff You Missed in History Class

Episode: Behind the Scenes Minis – Morocco!

Hosts: Tracy V. Wilson & Holly Frey
Date: November 28, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special "Behind the Scenes Minis" edition, Tracy and Holly share reflections, stories, and highlights from their recent group trip to Morocco. Setting aside their ongoing research on Charles Sumner, they offer a personal, humorous, and lively account of their journey, complete with travel mishaps, unforgettable sights, culinary adventures, and even a spooky hotel experience.

Key Discussion Points

1. Introduction & Acknowledgments

[02:06 – 03:03]

• Tracy and Holly explain that this episode focuses on their Morocco trip rather than Charles Sumner, since that research is still ongoing.
• Gratitude expressed for Michael from Defined Destinations (the travel partner) and Huda, their local Moroccan guide.
  • Tracy: “Huda was with us the whole trip. My spouse and I got a little sick partway through the trip... but Huda was so gracious and very attentive...” (03:04)

2. Travel Challenges & Bus Rides in Morocco

[03:46 – 06:21]

• Much time was spent on the bus traversing Morocco, with long scenic drives.
  • Holly: “I would be sitting there on the bus and see everybody asleep, and I would be like, look… You're not gonna see this ever again. Probably look out the window.” (04:26)
• Tracy struggled with motion sickness due to switchbacks in mountainous terrain, requiring Dramamine.
  • “Staying awake was not an option... I would open my eyes and the view out the window would be radically different from the last time I opened my eyes.” (05:00)
• Despite sleepiness, the bus downtime helped manage jet lag and maintain energy for activities.

3. The Haunted Hotel Story

[06:21 – 11:38]

• Holly shares a mysterious and humorous account of her strange experiences at a hotel.
  • She describes feeling a hand when her partner wasn’t in bed, hearing unusual ticking, and having her covers pulled off by something other than her husband.
  • "There was one night... I had cause to ask Huda, hey there. Any ever been any rumors about this hotel being haunted?" (06:53)
  • Huda replies that her own daughter experienced similar strange events at the same hotel, despite originally brushing off Holly’s question.
• Holly reassures: “None of those activities felt dangerous to me… They all felt very benign... Just weird.” (11:14)

4. Sahara Desert & Camel Ride

[14:05 – 17:31]

• Described as a highlight and the main logistical focus of the trip.
  • Tracy: “I had never seen those kinds of dunes… It was 100% worth it. The ride out to see the sunset was very fun… The whole group was just silent… It just was very peaceful and moving.” (14:27, 15:52)
• Some discomfort from riding in bumpy vehicles pre-camel, but still a favorite memory.
  • Holly: “My biggest concern had been, what if my camel does not like me? Oh, I don't think my camel did like me, but that's okay.” (16:24)

5. Cooking Class & The Blue City (Chefchaouen)

[17:31 – 21:49]

• Both hosts loved the Moroccan cooking class experience.
  • Holly: “The woman that was doing the demonstration was hilarious and adorable and very fun to work with.” (17:40)
• Chefchaouen's beauty and its many, many stairs discussed in detail.
  • Tracy: “I was not prepared for the number of stairs… Some of those stairs were as tall as, like, my leg from the knee down. Worth it again? 100% worth it. Yeah.” (18:04, 18:41)
• Cat stories: Chefchaouen has many cats, including a sweet moment with a local feeding stray cats.
  • “It was just this group of very polite cats waiting to be fed…” (19:04)

6. Navigating Moroccan Cities & Taxis

[21:00 – 22:41]

• Unique transportation logistics in medinas (no cars) and desert 4x4: Taxis needed to get in and out, often feeling like a “car chase scene” with many taxis moving guests up and down the city.
• Similarly playful experiences with 4WD vehicles heading to and from the desert camp: “...it definitely felt like the drivers were racing with each other a little bit. Not in a way that felt unsafe at all, but...” (22:16)

7. The City of Fez & Moroccan Architecture

[22:41 – 24:08]

• Holly: “The architecture of Fez made me cry… There's so much ornamentation in every single space. And you just know that so many hands had to touch it with such care and devotion.” (22:49)
• Tracy describes staying in a hotel renovated from four separate riyads, featuring open courtyards and beautiful Moorish design.
  • Also, playfully imagines “a trained monkey” entering through a bathroom window to “steal the diamond.” (24:00)

8. Fez Tannery Visit & Reflections on Leather

[27:29 – 28:10]

• Tracy appreciated seeing traditional leather production methods, though acknowledges the strong smell.
• Holly notes she now avoids wearing leather, so it was more of a cultural curiosity than a highlight for her.

9. Group Camaraderie & Listener Encounters

[28:19 – 31:02]

• Tracy thanks the group: “It has always a great group of people… kind and interesting and thoughtful.” (28:25)
• Both hosts had fun encounters with podcast listeners upon returning home, though both were so exhausted they don’t remember names.

10. Personal Highlights, Mosaics, Souvenirs & Logistics

[32:22 – 33:50]

• Hosts recall making mosaics (“Mine broke before even getting to the hotel…”).
• Holly had to buy new luggage for souvenirs, with help from Huda and the trip’s assistant, Arabi.
  • Holly praises the bus driver, Abdullah, for his exceptional driving skills: “...Did things with that bus that like most people could not do with a Mini Cooper.” (33:31)

11. Looking Ahead

[33:50 – 34:27]

• Tracy and Holly tease another future trip; both are beginning to brainstorm Morocco-inspired research topics.
  • “We may or may not have some kind of related episode at some point in the future.” (33:56)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On missing scenery due to Dramamine:
  “I wanted to be awake. I wanted to be looking at the landscapes we were passing through… I would open my eyes and the view out the window would be radically different.”
  – Tracy, 05:00

• On the haunted hotel:
  “I have, since I was four, had night terrors… So this could have all just been, oh, that's my brain. But they were extra weird.”
  – Holly, 07:30

• On the Sahara sunset camel ride:
  “The whole group was just silent and it was like we silently rode back to the camp and everybody just seemed to be kind of absorbing what we had just watched...”
  – Tracy, 15:37

• On Chefchaouen:
  “Chefchaouen is so beautiful… but stairs will destroy you.”
  – Holly, 17:52

• On Fez’s beauty:
  “The architecture of Fez made me cry because it is so beautiful and so carefully made…”
  – Holly, 22:49

• On souvenirs:
  “I had to buy additional luggage in Morocco to carry my many treasures…”
  – Holly, 33:06

Memorable Segments (with Timestamps)

• Thanking Guides & Handling Illness: [02:41–04:10]
• Holly’s Haunted Hotel Story: [06:21–11:38]
• Sahara Camel Trek & Dunes: [14:05–17:31]
• Chefchaouen’s many stairs (and the cats): [18:04–20:15]
• Mosaics, Shopping, & Logistics: [32:22–33:50]
• Looking Forward — Hints at Future Trips: [33:50–34:27]

Tone, Style, and Takeaways

• Conversational, warm, and enthusiastic, occasionally humorous.
• Full of admiration for Morocco’s landscapes, architecture, local people, and the camaraderie of their group.
• Open acknowledgment of the realities of travel: exhaustion, illness, bumps, language barriers (“stair” surprises), and unexpected mystical moments.
• Repeated gratitude for their support team and travel companions.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a travelogue of Holly and Tracy’s Moroccan adventure: full of lively anecdotes (bus naps, cats, desert camels, a maybe-haunted hotel), local color, logistical mishaps, scenic and cultural highlights. They especially praise their travel partners and share plans for more historical episodes inspired by the trip. The episode’s tone is positive, funny, and reflective—a blend of travel diary, behind-the-scenes banter, and warm friendship.

Skip to:

• [06:21] for the haunted hotel story
• [14:05] for Sahara camel ride
• [17:34] for favorite moments (cooking class, Chefchaouen)
• [22:41] for Fez and Moroccan architecture
• [32:27] for mosaics and souvenir chat

A joyful, insightful, and occasionally spooky journey through Morocco—as only Stuff You Missed in History Class can tell it.